Now it’s time to step it up by challenging your body with circuit training and extended duration cardio for weeks 3 and 4.

THE PLAN

WEEKs 3 & 4

THE WORKOUT – Increase the amount of calories burned and promote muscle development with Circuit Training – 3 to 5 days per week.

Alternate between the following two workouts to hit all of your muscles groups over the course of the next two weeks.

TIP 1: Circuit training involves you going from one muscle group to the next with little or no rest until all exercises in the circuit are complete. This maximizes your calorie burning potential. You will rest after completing the circuit.

TIP 2: Choose machines and equipment that are close to each other, and have a backup exercise ready; or just skip to the next muscle group and come back to the exercise you missed before completing the circuit. For example, if your circuit is ab crunches, the shoulder press machine and the leg press machine; you would do the shoulder press immediately following your set of ab crunches. If however, the shoulder press machine is not available, then go directly to the leg press machine and do the shoulder press after that. If the shoulder press is still unavailable, then do another shoulder exercise that you are familiar with. DO NOT WAIT FOR EQUIPMENT is the bottom line.

DAY 1 – THE CIRCUIT – Do each of the following exercises back-to-back without resting.

Bicycle Crunch – Do for 1 minute or as many reps as you can do until your muscles fatigue.

Lateral Raise or Shoulder Press – Pick a weight that you can do 8 – 12 times.

Standing Body Squat – Do for 1 minute or as many reps as you can do until your muscles fatigue.

Plank – Hold for 1 minute.

After completing each exercise in the circuit rest for 3 minutes and do it again until you have completed the circuit 4 times.

DAY 2 – THE CIRCUIT – Do each of the following exercises back-to-back without resting.

Dumbbell Row or Lat Pulldown – Pick a weight that you can do 8 – 12 times.

Chest press or Chest Fly – Pick a weight that you can do 8 – 12 times.

Bicep Machine or Dumbbell Curl – Pick a weight that you can do 8 – 12 times.

Triceps Overhead Extension or Triceps Pushdown – Pick a weight that you can do 8 – 12 times.

After completing each exercise in the circuit rest for 3 minutes and do it again until you have completed the circuit 4 times.

Get on the same piece of cardio that you were doing your interval training on during the past two weeks, and choose a level/speed that you can sustain for at least thirty minutes without stopping. Remember, cardio is your best tool for burning calories and reducing body fat, so don’t skip it!

THE DIET and NUTRITION – You have been tracking all your food, drinks and calories right? If not, you’re doing yourself and your goal a huge disservice. For those of you who have been diligent about keeping a food log, it is time to check for accuracy and completeness. Have you HONESTLY been logging EVERYTHING, and are you sure that your calorie counts are ACCURATE? The more accurate you are, the better your results are going to be. Your diet and nutrition are the primary factors that are going to help you lose weight. Now that you have gotten the hang of tracking your food, consider weighing and measuring your food to take your diet efforts to the next level. CLICK HERE for more information about the benefits of WEIGHING and MEASURING your food, so you can weigh less!

The MORE you WORKOUT, the MORE you will see RESULTS. So challenge yourself to get into your LA Fitness five days-a-week as you prepare for swimsuit season!